Title attachment for cameras



W. F. GONGAWARE.

um AUACHMENT FOR CAMERAS.

AFPLICATIUN FILED FEB. 8. 1916.

1,362,787. Patented Dee. 21,1920.

Eve/7 fd?? Zdz/Z//W/ @an aware UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TITLE ATTACHMENT FOR CAMERAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application led February 8, 1916. Serial No. 76,919.

To all whomz't may concern.'

Be it known that I, VILLIAM F. GONeA- WARE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ocean Park, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have 1nvented new `and useful Improvements in Title Attachments for Cameras, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a title attachment for cameras and particularly pertains to a device for marking a photographic film at the time of making photographic e);- posures.

It is an object of my invention to provide :a device of the above character which makes it possible to mark a photographic film with any desired indicia at the time the picture is 'taken and upon the marginal edge of said picture so that the negative, when developed, will bear a permanent mark of identification.

It is another object of my invention vto provide means for accomplishing the above results without the aid of intricate transfer mediums nor special winding of the film upon the reels butwill directly expose the film tothe indicia screen without impairing the remainder of the lm.

It is a 'further object to provide a means for accomplishing these results which may mel optionally used at the will of the operator and require no special marking means such as a steel vpencil or other hard substances but utilizes either a pen or pencil.

It is another object to provide an indicia screen upon which inscriptions may be written and corrections made before any ei:- posure is made upon the film and which screen may be continuously used with or without change of indicia.

It is another obj ect to provide means for operating 4my device which act simultaneously with the lens shutter mechanism.

A'further object is to provide an attachment of the above character which may readily be applied to most cameras at the time of their manufacture without material alteration of any of the parts now employed.

It is another object to provide a mechanism for accomplishing the above results which is simple in construction, possesses few moving parts, and with reasonable care willlast the life ofthe camera.

Heretofore, devices for marking indicia upon films have been used. These devices, however, have either embodied an elaborate transfer mechanism, -a special winding of the lilm, or impractical exposure mechamsm. It has been one of the undesirable features of such devices that erasures could not be made and that should a mistake be made in writing the inscription, said inscription was of no value. It has been the object of my invention to overcome these d iiliculties by providing a ysimple, yet etlicclent, mechanism in combination with an indicia screen upon which corrections can be made without effecting the film.

pther objects will appear hereinafter.

lhe invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing fragmentarily a portion of a camera with my device incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is ya vertical cross section through the body portion of the camera.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal'section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. t is a viewvin front elevation of the shutter mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thev shutter.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the indicia screen.

Fig. 7 is a modification of my device showing it as being 'used without connection with the shutter operating mechanism of the lens.

Broadly considered, my device consists of two distinct elements, a shutter mechanism, as indicated by the numeral 10, and an indicia screen and its mounting, as indicated at 11.

Referring particularly to the shutter mechanism, 12 indicates the shutter whicha is adapted to move in a vertically extending recess 13 formed in the face of the camera 14k, said shutter being actuated by means of a flexible cord 15 which is rigidly secured within the recess 13 at a point indicated by the numeral 16. The shutter 12 is provided with an eye 17 through which said cord is led to a small pin or pulley 18 which is positioned adjacent the opposite end of the shutter. After the cord passes over the pin 18 it is connected to one end of a simple lever 19 which is pivoted at 20. The'opposite end of said lever connects with Aa flexible cord 21 which is led through a small mounting 22 into a vflexible hose 23, said hose connecting with the main operating hose 2li through which the lens shutter is actuated. 1t will thus be seen that yy splicing the end of the cord 21 to the lens operating` cord any pressure upon a plunger 25 will cause both cords to move in the same direction simultaneously, in the directions indi-y cated by the arrows a and Z), and that this in turn will raise the shutter 12 at the same time the film is exposed, leaf spring 38 re turning the shutter to its closed position when the plunger is released.

Leading from a horizontally extending opening 26 in a plate 26 behind which the shutter is mounted, is a channel 27 which, in vertical cross section, widens as it recedes from the opening 26, said channel having been cut out or' the trame within which the camera bellows is mounted. The channel 27 extends entirely through the frame and is bound along the longitudinal edges of its rear opening with two small slide members 23 and 29, said members being so spaced that they will allow the entrance of an indicia screen 30 between them and the rear wall of the trame. 1t will be noted that when the screen 30 is in position it is in close Contact with a film 31 which is here shown as being wound upon a reel 32 and that when the shutter 12 is opened, rays of light will pass into the channel 27 and through the indicia screen 30 which is made of translucent material of such a character that the rays will have no damaging ei'lcct upon the negative but will only allow sullcient light to pass through to the iilm to make an exposure of the inscription on said screen.

1n Fig. 7 1 have shown a modie'd form of my device, it being identical with the former construction save that it is not operated simultaneously with the lens shutter but may be optionally actuated by a small thumb piece 33 which extends outwardly from the tace of the camera and through a slot 311, it having been rigidly secured to the shutter 12. 1n this manner the operator may snap the lens shutter open and closed at will without exposing the indicia screen, or expose the latter independent oi the lens shutter.

1n the operation of my device the iilm is placed in the camera in its ordinary position. A number of indicia screens have been placed in a small pocket mounted on the side olf the camera and one may now be withdrawn and written upon with either a pen or a pencil. The screen with the inscription thereon is then thrust through an opening 36 near the back of the camera, said opening being surrounded by rubber or clinging material, as indicated at 3T, which will not permit a leakage of light through the opening and around the screen. lhen the screen has been so positioned the picture may be taken. This is done in the customary manner by pushing the plunger 25, which in turn moves the wire in the hose 211, thus actuating the lens shutter mechanism and at the same time moving the wire 21 in hose 23, said wire acting upon the level' 19 to rotate it and draw down the end of cord 1t will be seen that as cord 15 is drawn into a straight line from the point 16 and the pin 18 the shutter will be raised and light will be permitted to pass into the channel 27 and upon the screen, this opera tion having exposed the iilm to the subject of the picture and also to the inscription upon the indicia screen, thus insuring each nlm to be pro]L erly marked at the time of its exposure.

1n the modilied form of my invention, the indicia screen is prepared in the usual manner and the shutter opened by a lip of the thumb over member 33.

lt will thus be seen that 1 have provided a mechanism for marking iilms which is simple in construction and positive in operation.

While I have shown the invention as applied to a film camera, it is manifest that it is equally applicable for use on plate cameras and on any type of photographic apparatus where it is desired to record a mark or inscription upon the photographic record other than that which is obtained in making the usual photographic exposure.

lNhat 1 claim is:

1. 1n a camera, adapted to receive a sensitized photographic element, and having a lens shutter and means for operating same, an auxiliary shutter, a removable indicia screen adapted to be disposed adjacent the surface of the sensitized photographic element, arranged to be exposed on the opening of the auxiliary shutter, and means controlled by the lens shutter operating means for actuating the auxiliary shutter.

2. ln a title attachment for camera, the combination with a camera adapted to receive a sensitized photographic element and having a lens shutter mechanism, of an indicia screen removably mounted in front of said sensitized photographic element and positioned across one of the marginal edges thereof, a shutter adapted to admit light rays to the indicia screen and means for actuating said shutter simultaneously with the lens shutter mechanism.

3. A camera having a pair of separated channels and adapted to receive a sensitized photographic element to extend across both of said channels, a pair of shutters for exposing said sensitized photographic element to light rays through said channels, a removable indicia screen adapted to be positioned across one of the channels adjacent said sensitized photographic element, and means for operating the shutters simultaneously.

4. A camera having a pair of separated channels and adapted to receive a sensitized photographic element to extend across both of said channels, a pair of shutters arranged on the front of the camera for exposing the sensitized element to light rays through said channels, and a removable indicia screen 10 adapted to be positioned across one of the channels adjacent the sensitized element.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WLLIAM F. GONGAWARE. 

